Government of India

SOURCE: E-BOOK ON SUCCESS STORIES RELEASED BY THE PRIME MINISTER ON CIVIL SERVICES DAY 2017

Did you know that India produces 90% of the world’s turmeric? And that in the tiny obscure village of Tisopi in Mizoram’s Siaha District, one-third of its 90 resident families are turmeric farmers?

Sweeping fields, filled with lush plants rising about 2 ft. high, with lustrous, deep green lance-shaped leaves, narrowing at each end and with pale yellow flowers, stretch endlessly. With two self-help groups formed under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) and PMKSY to cultivate the crop in 30 hectares, turmeric farming in Mizoram has indeed come a long way from what it was a decade ago.

Modern methods of cultivation with mechanized equipment for tilling land and procurement of slicing, pulverizing and packing machines were also made possible under the IWMP/ PMKSY programme.

A packaging house, drying yard, and water tanks for cleaning and washing the crop before processing were also constructed under the programme. The two self-help groups process about 300 quintals per annum. Each of the 20 members in the self-help groups is now earning INR 80,000/- to INR 90,000/- depending on the quantity of their produce.

Plans are afoot to extend turmeric farming to other parts of the state since the demand-supply gap is widening and good quality turmeric commands a healthy price.